Canterbury's braided shingle
rivers will play host to a trial programme in an effort to encourage rare birds
to breed and boost population numbers.
Research is under way by
Lincoln University student Courtney Hamblin to encourage breeding of the rare
and endangered tarapiroe (black-fronted tern), a bird endemic to New
Zealand which breeds almost exclusively in South Island shingle riverbeds.
The current population of 5000 to
10,000 is declining rapidly due to predators. The birds are classified as
nationally endangered.
Hamblin said plaster-moulded
"decoys", which looked like the terns, and audio using
their song would be used to encourage the birds to breed, a process known
as "social attraction".
On Monday, Hamblin was conducting
work in the Ashley and Waimakariri rivers to get an indication of whether the
decoys would attract the terns and encourage them to nest at selected sites.
It would then be expanded, with
work taking place throughout Canterbury on the Ashburton (Hakatere),
Rangitata, Ohau, Ahuriri, Tasman, and Hopkins braided rivers.
"If it works, it means we
could employ this technique to encourage terns to nest in areas where they are
protected by weed clearance, pest control, and restrictions on vehicle access,
and so boost their breeding success," she said.
Hamblin, studying a masters of
science majoring in ecology, said the research project was "cool"
because it had real life applications.
It was supported by the Ashley
Rakahuri Rivercare Group and the Brian Mason Scientific and Technical Trust.
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